by Irving, John
First published 2012
Dr. Wilbur Larch operates the orphanage at St. Cloud's in rural Maine during the early 1900s. By day he delivers babies and cares for unwanted children. By night he helps women terminate pregnancies they cannot carry. Larch has raised Homer Wells from infancy, training him in medical procedures though Homer has never been adopted. Homer learns to assist with births but refuses to perform abortions, creating tension between mentor and pupil. Larch depends on ether to numb himself against the moral complexities of his work. He sees himself as providing necessary services that society condemns but desperately needs. Homer must decide whether to follow Larch's path or forge his own. Their relationship deepens as Homer grows into manhood, caught between loyalty to his father figure and his own conscience about the controversial procedures that define their daily lives.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, medical, 20th-century, adoption, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, mentor-mentee
Setting: Maine, St. Cloud's
Period: Early 1900s
612 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow
Content warnings: medical-trauma